Blessed to Be Here

“We are a nation of immigrants. We are the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the ones who wanted a better life, the driven ones, the ones who woke up at night hearing that voice telling them that life in that place called America could be better.” – Governor Mitt Romney

Those words are true. I know they are, because I’ve lived them. Hey y’all, I’m Conrad Close, and I’m the newest intern here at GeorgiaPol. Just wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself before I get to work. Unlike most of the current GeorgiaPol contributors and interns, I wasn’t born in the USA. I spent the first eight years of my life “Down Under” in Australia. In 2004, I moved to a small town in Southeast Georgia with my family, and we’ve been living the American Dream ever since.

No, life hasn’t been all rainbows and unicorns, but I’m blessed to be living in the greatest country on earth. Every time the issue of immigration comes up, I’m reminded that it is a privilege to live in America. I’ve had opportunities here that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.

I got my start in politics in 2014, volunteering for now-Representative Rick Allen’s Congressional campaign. Last year, I had the honor of working on Governor Rick Perry’s Presidential campaign. While Governor Perry was unfortunately the first candidate to drop out, the campaign was one of the best experiences of my life. I still miss Governor Perry’s voice in the race.

I’ve been blessed with some amazing opportunities in my life, and this internship is one of them. I’m grateful for the opportunity to intern for GeorgiaPol, and I hope that I can contribute positively to the ongoing discussion regarding the issues we face as a state, and as a nation. I’m blessed to be here.